[Updated] Pussy Riot Has Claimed Responsibility For World Cup Chaos
Amid the excitement that was deciding exactly what your World Cup boyfriend's hair says about him, punk activist group Pussy Riot caused quite the stir during the final World Cup match on Sunday. Members of the protest group ran onto the field, and interrupted the match. For about 20 seconds, it was total chaos on the field.
At the 52-minute mark, four activists dressed in police uniforms ran across the pitch to protest human rights abuses in Russia. They also demanded that the Russian government free all political prisoners, allow opposing parties to participate politically, and "not fabricate criminal accusations and not keep people in jails for no reason."
Pussy Riot is a group that seeks to promote human rights, and is most famous for its anti-Putin and anti-Kremlin stances. They often release protest songs and videos like last year's "Police State," which criticized Donald Trump's and Putin's friendship, and they also plan guerrilla protest performances like the 2012 "punk prayer" performance, which was held at a cathedral in Moscow. The "punk prayer" landed members in jail for what the judge called "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred."
Along with the game-time protest, the Russian group also released a video challenging the role of police in Russia. They said:
"Perhaps you know that there is no rule of law in Russia and any policeman may easily break into your life for no reason. FIFA World Cup demonstrated really well how good Russian policeman may behave. But what will happen once it ends?"
The protestors were tackled, dragged, and carried off the field, and were later charged with violating spectator rules and illegally wearing police uniforms. According to Pussy Riot's Twitter account, one of the protestors, Veronica Nikulshina, who managed to high five one of France's players while on the field, was sentenced to 15 days of "administrative arrest" and is banned from sporting events. The other three members haven't been charged with anything as of Monday afternoon.
Update 7/17, 9:15 a.m.: After a court found them guilty of breaking the law regarding sports spectator behavior, all four Pussy Riot protestors who ran on the field during the World Cup were sentenced to 15 days in jail and are banned from sporting events for three years.
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